NBA
Why are there no NBA games today, May 29?
The Timberwolves took their Western Conference final series against the Mavs to Game 5. The playoff action returns Thursday.
The Minnesota Timberwolves dented the Mavs’s chances of securing an early passage to the NBA finals by winning Tuesday’s game 100-105 and in the process, also denying what would have been the first ever 4-0 sweep in both the Eastern and Western Conference finals. The Boston Celtics won their series against the Indiana Pacers by that margin (4-0) and now have the luxury of enjoying a few days’ rest and extra time to prepare for the final which tips off at TD Garden on 6 June.
2024 NBA playoffs take a break
For that reason there will be no NBA games tonight, Wednesday 29 May. All of the playoff games are best-of-seven and seeing as Boston resolved theirs in just games, there was no need for a Game 5, which was slated for this evening at at TD Garden if the Pacers had been able to claw a game back. Had they not won their conference final so convincingly, the Cs could have been looking at Games 5 (29 May), 6 (31 May) and 7 (2 June). As it is they’re safely through.
That’s not the case for the Mavericks with their series moving to Minneapolis for Game 5 on Thursday. Luka Doncic and Company lead 3-1 and have to wrap up tomorrow’s game to be the first to win four games claim a place in the NBA finals against Boston next month. Another defeat would take the series to Game 6, slated for Friday, 31 May.
Western Conference final: Dallas Mavericks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
- Game 1: Mavericks 108-105 Wolves
- Game 2: Mavericks 109-108 Wolves
- Game 3: Mavericks 116-107 Wolves
- Game 4: Wolves 105-100 Mavericks
- Game 5: Mavericks @ Wolves, Thursday, May 30 (8:30 p.m. EDT)
- Game 6*: Wolves @ Mavericks, Saturday, June 1 (8:30 p.m. EDT)
- Game 7*: Mavericks @ Wolves, Monday, June 3 (8:30 p.m. EDT)
So that’s why there are no NBA games today - there was no need to play Game 5 in the matchup between the Celtics and the Pacers.
2024 NBA finals schedule
- Game 1: June 6 @ Boston, 8:30 p.m.
- Game 2: June 9 @ Boston, 8 p.m.
- Game 3: June 12 @ TBD, 8:30 p.m.
- Game 4: June 14 @ TBD, 8:30 p.m.
- Game 5* June 17 @ Boston. 8:30 p.m.
- Game 6* June 20 @ TBD, 8:30 p.m.
- Game 7* June 23 @ Boston, 8 p.m.
*If required
When will the 2024 NBA final be played?
Game 1 of the 2024 2024 NBA final between the Boston Celtics and either the Dallas Mavericks or the Minnesota Timberwolves will be played on Thursday 6 June. The Celtics will have home court advantage for the first two games and Games 5 and 7 if required.
Luka Doncic knows what the Mavs have to do: “We won three games, like I say, it’s the first of four. No matter if you win in four or in seven - you just gotta win four”.
Whatever happens tomorrow, the NBA won’t be making any changes to the NBA final schedule, which will remain set to 6 June even if both teams qualify ahead of time.